The Extendo Forge

[deanscamaro]

Has anyone out there who works on knives, built and used The Extendo Forge from Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop book? Below is my version of his design and I am just getting started trying it out. You have to go by color or magnetic properties for proper temperature, as far as I have been able to find out, since it doesn't have a temp-measuring thermocouple. I tried it out on my infamous "little finger filleting patch knife" to anneal the tang enough to drill it (you can read my other post to get the disasterous results). I made the knife from a mower blade.

I am looking for some input from anyone who might have experience on using the One-Brick or Extendo forges, before I really get to working with it. I'd rather learn from someone's experience than make all the same mistakes over. Thanks in advance.

:v :v

 

[chipper]

Your question was kind of vague so I'll do my best to answer it.

I use my eyes to see what temp I want to forge at. I get it hot but not yellow hot, unless I'm welding.

I use a magnet to get the right temperature to harden the steel. It doesn't tell you the whole story but it certainly works. Non magnetic is important but letting it soak is also very important.

I've never used a thermocouple.

You can buy little sticks that melt at certain temps at welding shops. I've never found them necessary.

Your forge looks cool. I wish I had one, but I would recommend you use it outside at least until you get used to how it works. That's just my recommendation. I'm kind of clumsy.

Regards

 

[Nifeman]

Hey Deano, I have one that I made about 6 years ago and it still works great. What I do though to contain the heat, is block off the opposite end with a hard fire brick. I have a NC gas forge and a brake drum forge when I want to forge with coal, (kinda nostalgic :grin: ).
Most of the little stuff I do is in the brick forge. The only recommendation I have is to put your burner about an inch away from the side hole. Also, you might want to wrap it with rebar tying wire as it will surely crack in time( they are kinda finicky about bumping hard things and too much heat. Other than that, FIRE that baby up and make some neat stuff :thumbsup: !! Bud

 

[J.M.]

I made one up when I first got started knifemaking, and it was a good learning experience. I had to play around with the hole diameters and torch distance to the opening to get it to work effectively. It works well for small pieces. Like Loyd said, soak the steel after reaching non magnetic stage. The magnet is a good indicator until you get your eyeball calibrated to color! Have fun with it, but be safe too.

 

[deanscamaro]

When I first made it and tried annealing my patch knife, I missed the explanation in the book that said drill the knife hole all the way through. It worked to anneal the tang, which was what I was trying to do, but if I were trying to heat the whole knife up to temperature, the flame all swirled out the one open end and didn't heat up the blade. So for my next knife, I have drilled it all the way through to get the swirl to both ways. Then, if I just wanted to heat up the tang, I could block off the knife end. Thanks!
:thumbsup:

 

[deanscamaro]

I see you grew up in the Wind River country of Wyoming. I was born and raised in Worland.
:hatsoff:

 

[chipper]

My step mom's from Greybull. I spent quite a bit of time up there hiking and hunting. I even caught a golden trout in Misty Moon. Ever see Bomber mountain from Lake Louise?

I was up there a few years ago for the blue grass festival in Tensleep and caught a mess of fish just outside of town.

yea, I know that area.

regards
Loyd Shindelbower
Loveland Colorado

 

[NJStricker]

I made my first dozen or so knives in a set up like that. Let it heat slowly. If you get in a hurry and crank up the torch to heat it faster then the brick will crack a lot faster.

I've since moved on to a microforge I built from a black stove pipe, lined with refactory blanket (Inswool) and coated with fireplace cement. So far it is a lot more durable, and I can work with longer pieces.

 

[deanscamaro]

Better not go much further with asking about your step-mother; we used to take off weekends from Worland to go to dances in Greybull and chase girls. Ha! Ha! I still have a lot of good memories about that country and a lot of good friends still living there. Maybe they have been impacted a little by this economic manure, but I don't believe it has been much. They don't seem to economically swing too much either way. You can't make much money living there, but it doesn't cost too much to live there either.

Always spent a lot of time hunting and fishing in the Bighorn's. Been up fishing on Misty Moon plenty of times. Have also been fly fishing with my niece's husband in Ten Sleep creek, just outside of Ten Sleep. They have re-introduced Moose into the Big Horns again and even had enough success to open a limited season on them. Back visiting and taking the highway over to Buffalo, we have seen moose right alongside the highway, feeding in the willows. Great country.

:thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[deanscamaro]

Where did you find Inswool? I have been looking for something to put over my furnace after it is turned off, so that the "air dry" takes longer and maybe that is a solution.
:hmm:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Google " Inswool", and you will find lots of information and sources. :thumbsup:

 

[deanscamaro]

Found it. Thanks!
:hatsoff:

 

[jmforge]

The best place to find forge building supplies is probably Ellis Custom Knifeworks. Darren has everything from Satanite to custom built forges and salt pots. He also has Kelly Cupples' contact info if you want good quality blade steel. A lot of us metal pounders started off with the "one brick forge' from Waynes book. I did. There are guys who have made larger forges using soft firebricks as the basis, but eventually, you are going to want to build or buy something with a metal shell and some real burners once you get hooked :grin: I currently use a Chile Forge Habanero venturi forge and plan to get a Fogg style blown vertical 12 inch forge for making damascus. Atmospheric forges are great for blade forging but they eat up too much gas at forge welding temperatures.

 

[deanscamaro]

Thanks! If and when I get to the point of doing real forging, I know I am going to have to move on to a more substantial forge. Right now, the Extendo Forge satisfies my heat treating needs.
:hatsoff: